Popcorn machine



J ly 13, 1943- H. VAN DOREN ET AL 2,324,046

POPCORN MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1940 jig. 1; 0, (f/0 a) 6 if I i/ l'mm I,

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ATTORN EY Patented July 13, 1943 POPCORN llIACHINE Harold Van Doren and Donald E. Bailey, Toledo,

Ohio, assignors to Burch Manufacturing Company, Jackson County, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application September 19, 1940, Serial No. 357,366

8 Claims. (01. 312124) This invention relates to popcorn machines and more particularly to a warming pan and dispensing structure therefor, the principal objects of the present invention being to provide a convenient, relatively economical and highly efficient machine of the character noted.

Other objects of the invention are to facilitate separation of properly and inadequately cooked portions of popcorn products; to provide a novel arrangement for maintaining the properly cooked popcorn products in a warm and appealingly edible state; to provide compartments on a display floor in the machine together with varying the size thereof relative to each other; to facilitate access to the machine for dispensing purposes and also to facilitate access to the popcorn products for packaging the same; to facilitate maintenance of the machine and particularly cleanliness in the dispensing structure thereof; and to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a popcorn machine.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, we have p ov improved details of structure, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a'perspective View of a popcorn machine embodying the features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the warming pan and dispensing structure of the popcorn machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross section through the warming pan and dispensing structure of the popcorn machine.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the warming pan and dispensing structure of the machine, the parts thereof being shown in disassembled spaced relation.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a popcorn machine embodying the features of the present invention, which preferably includes vertically arranged structural members 2, 3, 4 and 5 that are provided with suitable primary supports, not shown, at their lower ends, and with a hood 6 at and interconnecting their upper ends, from which depends a suitable popcorn cooking element 1 such as the kettle shown. Horizontally arranged structural members 8 and 9 bracingly interconnect the vertical structural members at and between their ends, and respectively provide support for a bag compartment lil and a display or dispensing structure ll. Suitable transparent display panels 12 may be provided between the side and rear frame forming Vertical structural members above the dispensing structure H and suitable panel filled door frames I3 and I4 may be hinged to the front-forming structural members for respectively providing closure of and access to the display compartment l5 formed by the described structure.

Laterally inwardly directed supporting members, preferably in the form of angle irons 16, I1 and I8 are horizontally arranged in connected relation to the vertical structural members approximately at the level of the dispensing structure floor H and may be welded or otherwise secured in position to form a suitable support for the said dispensing structure.

The dispensing structure preferably consists of a plate 20 of generally rectangular shape having downwardly turned end and rear edges 2! and 22 that are engageable between the angle irons and supports for the angle irons to hook the plate 20 in position, as shown at 23, Fig. 2, and 2t and 25, Fig. 3. The plate is also preferably cut away at its corners, as at 25, to provide for fitting the plate about the vertical structural members as shown in Fig. l. The forward edge 2'! of the plate 20 is preferably plane and rests on the flange 28 of a preferably channel-shaped supporting element that is suitably secured in horizontal position between the front vertical structural members. The forward edge of the front portion of the plate 28 is also provided with a hinged panel 3!! that swings upwardly and downwardly under control of stops 3| on the front vertical structural members that are arranged to ride in slots 32 of segments 33, which form end walls for the panel and cooperate with the vertical structural members 3 and 5 in substantially enclosing the lower portion of the display compartment it when the panel is swung upwardly, as shown in Fig. 2.

The plate 25] is depressed substantially uniformly in spaced relation to its side and end edges in such a manner as to form downwardly sloping end walls 35 and 36 and downwardly sloping side walls fi'l-and 38. The inner adjacent edges of the walls 35 to 38 terminate in a discharge aperture 39 that is elongated and of sufficient width to receive a grill 4G composed of spaced rods 4| that are secured in spaced relation by caps 42 arranged on and enclosing opposite ends of the rods.

Inwardly directed flanges G3 and 4 are secured to the plate 29 at the lower extremities of the sloping walls and at the juncture of the side and end walls for seating the grill cap members 42 yet allowing removal of the grill from the plate as and when desired. Inwardly directed aprons 45 and 36 are also secured to the plate 20 adjacent the ends of the discharge aperture 39, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, for the purpose of causing popcorn products passing through the grill 4% to converge and drop through the space 41 between the inner adjacent edges of the aprons into a waste receptacle 48 that may be suitably arranged in the base of the popcorn machine below the dispensing structure.

Heating elements 58 that are energizable by a suitable current conductor are mounted on the rear Wall 31 of the plate 20 to warm the plate and keep the popcorn products in contact therewith or adjacent thereto in a warm state.

A dividing device 55 is slidably mounted on the rods 4| of the grill All, the dividing device consisting of a relatively flat plate 55, the lower end of which is shaped as at 51 to substantially correspond to the cross section of the plate 28 and having a hinging device 58 secured thereto and to a base 59. The base 59 has depending ears 63 provided with apertures of a size sufficient to fit the base on to a pair of spaced rods 4| and allow the base to be reciprocated on the rods from one end to the other thereof. Upwardly projecting spaced aligned pairs of bosses BI and 62 are provided on the upper face of the base 59 which bosses have inwardly and downwardly tapered faces 63 and 64 upon which opposite faces of the plate 56 may rest depending upon its hinged relation to the base 59.

The operation of a popcorn machine constructed as described is as follows:

Assuming the popcorn machine to be in the condition shown in Fig. 1, popcorn kernels may be applied to the kettle 'l and cooked in a conventional manner, after which the cooked popcorn may be poured on to the plate 2?] on one side of the hinged partition plate 56, the partition plate serving to segregate fresh cooked popcorn from, for example, syrup treated popcorn or popcorn balls on the other side of the partition. The heating elements 50 may be energized in a suitable manner to warm the plate 29, and particularly the rear wall 37 thereof, and in effect make of the plate 29 a warming pan for the popcorn machine. Due to the tapered walls of the warming pan, small uncooked kernels of the popcorn drop to the bottom of the popcorn mass and slide or ride down the tapered walls of the warming pan where they drop between the rods of the grill 4!] through the discharge aperture 39 and on to the aprons J5 and t6 and from the aprons drop into the waste container 48 for suitable disposition.

Should the supply of cooked popcorn be depleted, the hinged partition plate 55 may be hinged or moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 and the base 59 slid, for example, to the left, Fig. 3, on the grill rods to collect the cooked popcorn in a more limited area to facilitate dispensing the popcorn.

Due to the tapered walls of the plate 20, a trough is formed which always provides for substantially automatic collection of the cooked popcorn in a relatively compact mass or group, thus making it easier for an operator to dip into the mass and withdraw or dispense the popcorn from the dispensing structure or trough than would be the case were the warming pan or dispensing structure of a fiat character.

When a fresh supply of popcorn is applied to the warming pan from the kettle i, it is sometimes of such quantity that it is piled relatively high on the warming pan. The hinged front panel 36 may then be easily swung vertically upwardly to form an additional check to keep the popcorn in desired position in the display compartment of the popcorn machine. When the supply of popped corn has been depleted, the panel 30 may be swung downwardly to more readily expose the popcorn for dispensing purposes. Downward swinging movement of the panel also facilitates access to the grill and hinged partition plate at such times as it is desired to clean the machine, the ease of disassembly of the grill and partition plate also facilitating such cleaning operations.

It is, therefore, apparent that the present invention provides a convenient, relatively economical and highly efiicient warming pan and dispensing structure in a popcorn machine.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a. warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment and having a depressed portion therein terminating in a discharge opening, and a plate lidably mounted on said Warming pan in edgewise transverse relation thereto, the lower edge of said plate being in close proximity to the said warming pan.

2. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, a plate mounted on said warming pan in edgewise transverse relation thereto, said plate having its lower edge in close proximity to said warming pan, and means for hinging said plate adjacent its lower edge to vary the spaces defined thereby between the ends of the warming pan.

3. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, a plate mounted on said Warming pan in edgewise transverse relation thereto, said plate having its lower edges in close proximity to said warming pan, means for hinging said plate adjacent its lower edge to vary the spaces defined thereby between the ends of the warming pan, and means for limiting hinging movement of said plate.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a warming pan having a depressed portion terminating in an aperture, a grill mounted in said aperture, and a partition slidably and hingedly mounted on said grill.

5. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, 'a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, said warming pan having a discharge opening therein, tapered walls terminating in said discharge opening, a grill mounted on said warming pan in said discharge opening, and a plate slidably mounted on said grill in transverse relation to said warming pan.

6. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, said warming pan having a discharge opening therein, tapered walls terminating in said discharge opening, a grill mounted on said warming pan in said discharge opening, a plate slidably mounted on said grill in transverse relation to said warming pan, and means for hinging said plate to vary the spaces defined to be between the ends of the warming nan.

7. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, said warming pan having a discharge opening therein, tapered walls terminating in said discharge opening, a grill mounted on said warming pan in said discharge opening, a plate slidably mounted on said grill in transverse relation to said Warming pan, means for hinging said plate to vary the spaces defined to be between the ends of the warming pan and means for limiting hinging movement of said partition plate.

8. In a popcorn machine, a frame having a display compartment therein, a warming pan forming the bottom of said display compartment, said warming pan having a. discharge opening therein, tapered walls terminating in said discharge opening, a grill mounted on said warming pan in said discharge opening, a plat slidably mounted on said grill in transverse relation to said warming pan, means for hinging said plate to vary the spaces defined to be between the ends of the warming pan, means for limiting hinging movement of said plate, a panel hinged to the forward edge of said warming pan, segmental members on the ends of the panel and having engagement with the frame to close the spaces between the ends of the panel and the frame, and means on the frame engageable with one of the segmental members for adjustably controlling hinging movement of the panel and adapted to hold the panel in adjusted position.

HAROLD VAN DOREN. DONALD E. DAILEY. 

